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Our Mission: Passionate student members of the League of Women Voters of North & Central San Mateo County dedicated to benefiting the youth and community by promoting the importance of voting and civic engagement.
Jamie Yu, Youth Council Co-Chair
Jamie Yu, Youth Council Co-Chair
she/her
Jamie Yu is currently a high school senior from South San Francisco, California and is a member of the League of Women Voters of North & Central San Mateo. Jamie joined the youth council because she cares about the importance of education and the emphasis on youth advocacy. At school, she is manager for her school’s Mock Trial and is on her school’s flag football team. She also works for two different tutoring companies. In her free time, she likes to go out to eat and try new foods with her friends and go shopping.
Jaiden Ou, Youth Council Co-Chair
Jaiden Ou, Youth Council Co-Chair
he/him
Jaiden Ou is a junior at Aragon High School and a member of the League of Women Voters of North & Central San Mateo County Youth Council. He wanted to get involved and be more experienced in the world of politics, so he joined the youth council for the League of Women Voters. In school, he plays on the varsity basketball team and is a key member of the varsity badminton team. Also, he is in clubs like Model Congress and DECA. Outside of school, Jaiden runs a non-profit by using badminton as a medium for advocating for sustainable housing. He also is the founder of a youth basketball training business and a member of the social justice committee of the Youth Public Policy Institute. In his free time, Jaiden enjoys hanging out with friends, making fun tiktoks, and eating tasty food.
Ari Guelman
he/him
Ari Guelman is currently a high school senior from San Carlos, California and a member of the League of Women Voters of North & Central San Mateo County Youth Council. Ari joined the youth council because he is passionate about voting and hopes to learn and understand more about our nation's voting systems. At school, he is President of the Hydration Club where he promotes the benefits of water and health. He is also an active member of his school's Jewish Student Union, where he often volunteers for his community. Ari also plays two sports which includes cross country and track. In his free time, he likes to hang out with his friends or go play soccer at his city's local soccer field. He also enjoys traveling to scenic places such as Hawaii and Spain.
Caroline Leong
she/her
Caroline (Aerie) Leong is currently a high school junior from Mountain View, California, and is a member of the League of Women Voters of North & Central San Mateo. Aerie joined the youth council because she wants to better the lives of girls in California, and has a background in and passion for policy education and political theory. At school, she’s the outreach lead and witness for the Mock Trial team, chairs at their Model United Nations conference, and competes in Parliamentary and WSD debates. She is also the lead singer and guitarist of a band with friends and studies classical and jazz vocals. In her free time, she likes to make cool latte’s and go out to concerts with friends.
Josh MacLeitch
he/him
Josh MacLeitch is currently a high school senior from San Carlos, California and is a member of the League of Women Voters of North & Central San Mateo County Youth Council. Josh joined the youth council in hopes of learning more about voting rights and the 2024 Presidential Election in November. He is excited to understand how voting affects the democracy of our country as well as the different propositions on the ballot this year. Outside of school, Josh enjoys playing club soccer for the San Carlos United Soccer Team. He also loves hanging out with his friends and family at various parks in his community.
Sophia Eng
Sophia Eng
she/her
Sophia Eng is a high school junior from Millbrae, California and a member of the League of Women Voters of North & Central San Mateo County Youth Council. Sophia joined the youth council because she is interested in politics and law, and wants to encourage youth to be more engaged in civics. At school, she is the secretary and an attorney in her school’s Mock Trial team, as well as a member of the Debate team. She also swims competitively for her school. In her free time, Sophia likes traveling to new places, reading, and hanging out with her friends.
Catie Buckels
Catie Buckels
she/her
Catie Buckels is currently a senior at Mercy High School Burlingame and is a member of the League of Women Voters of North & Central San Mateo. Catie joined the youth council because she wants government and advocacy to be more accessible to young people, and is passionate about educating her peers about policy and how history shapes how we go about politics today. Catie works as a math tutor and also volunteers with young adults with special needs, and is part of the History and National Honors Societies. She also has competed with the Mock Trial team. She is part of the leadership team for her school’s theatre program. She enjoys choir both in school and extracurricularly, and music, singing, and acting are a big parts of her life. Outside of school and work, Catie enjoys reading, thrifting, and spending time with her friends.
Kellan Kalmbach
Kellan Kalmbach
he/him
Kellen Kalmbach is currently a junior at Hillsdale High School and is a member of the League of Women Voters of North & Central San Mateo. Kellen joined the Youth Council in order to further his understanding of local voting systems and help get more people involved at the ballot box. At Hillsdale, Kellen is a varsity tennis singles player and team captain, volunteer at the Peace Pantry, and an award-winning witness on the mock trial team. He was also a team captain on Hillsdale’s freshman and JV basketball teams in 9th and 10th grade. In his free time, Kellen likes to cook, work out, read and spend time with friends.
Lucia van Gool
Lucia van Gool
she/her
Lucia van Gool is currently a high school sophomore at The Nueva School and is a member of the League of Women Voters of North & Central San Mateo. Lucia joined the youth council because she is passionate about education and public policy and wanted an opportunity to get involved in the local community. At school, she co-leads the Feminism club, is a peer tutor, and volunteers as an admissions ambassador. She also works as a math tutor and summer camp counselor and enjoys musical theater, dance, and singing in choir. In her free time, she loves going out to eat with her friends, shopping and thrifting, and going on runs and walks.
Sarina Jain
Sarina Jain
she/her
Sarina Jain is currently a senior at Aragon High School and is a member of the League of Women Voters of North & Central San Mateo. Sarina joined the council because she cares about voter education and youth advocacy, especially for females, who are often underrepresented in politics. Sarina is a captain of her school’s varsity lacrosse team, where she has played for three years, and works as a peer tutor. She is also a part of the Aragon leadership program, where she is the Link Crew commission head and helps run school events. Outside of school, Sarina volunteers with the Samaritan House and coaches a middle school girls lacrosse team in the fall. In her free time, she loves hanging out with friends, going on walks, playing sports, and going to the beach.
Tereza Gomez-Henry
she/her
Tereza Gomez-Henry is currently a senior at westmoor highschool, and enrolled in middle college which is a dual enrollment program where you take college classes. She is a member of League of Women Voters of North & Central San Mateo. Tereza joined the council because she wants Democracy to be a real thing in the United States, and not just a word the government throws around without taking the steps to create a Democracy. Tereza is managing a punk band where she books and organizes shows. She volunteers at a program that sends books out to people incarcerated. She also recycles clothes and resells them on Depop. She is a senior captain of her cross country and track team. In her free time she enjoys sewing shirts and going on long hikes. She also enjoys meeting/getting to know new people and watching movies and reading books.
Mia Bercow
Mia Bercow
she/her
Mia Bercow is currently a high school senior from Menlo Park, California, and is a member of the League of Women Voters of North & Central San Mateo County Youth Council. Mia joined the youth council because she is passionate about policy, voting rights, and voting education. At school, she chairs for her school’s Model United Nations team and leads a club for the organization she started to help promote social media education and awareness. She also is an active member of her school’s Jewish student alliance affinity group and helps to organize events and philanthropy opportunities. Mia plays volleyball for her school's team and has been a captain for the past three years. Outside of school she is a member of the Diller Teen Foundation and National Charity League. In her free time, she likes going out to fun restaurant places with her friends and spending time with her dog.
Zurine Cheng, Youth Council Founder & Past Chair, Advisor
she/her
Zurine Cheng is currently a second year undergraduate student majoring in political science and minoring in accounting at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Originally from Millbrae, California, she founded the League of Women Voters of North & Central San Mateo County (LWVNCSMC) Youth Council and served as Chair from 2024-2025. During her tenure as Chair, she was also elected to serve as a voting board member on the LWVNCSMC Board. She now serves the council in an advisory role, providing guidance and insights to the current Youth Council. In addition to her involvement in the Youth Council, Zurine is a member of LWVNCSM's Voter Services Tabling Committee and a contributor to the league's research studies on local and national policy. Zurine is passionate about voting rights and expanding the knowledge of civic engagement to the youth, serving as the Student Board Member for her school district and Chair of the City of Millbrae's Youth Advisory Committee. In the future, Zurine aspires to become a IPO & Equity Capital Market attorney. During her free time, you can find her cycling alongside the Half Moon Bay Coastal Trail or coaching her church's youth basketball team.
Brooke Phimsoutham, Past Chair & Advisor
she/her
Photos from Our Recent Tabling in San Mateo, California! During our tabling at this event, we passed over 500 Vote 411 guides, 200 "Future Voter" Stickers to the youth, and pre-registered and registered countless San Mateo County residents!
Thank you to City of San Mateo Mayor Liaz Diaz Nash for visiting us!
The Youth Council works alongside different committees of the League of Women Voters of North & Central San Mateo County as well as the League of Women Voters California State Chapter. Please feel free to check out our website and their website to understand more about our current projects and research interests.
If you have any questions about the Youth Council, their projects, or current research, please feel free to contact the Youth Council Chair.
Jamie Yu (jamie.yu@lwvncsmc.org)
Jaiden Ou (jaiden.ou@lwvncsmc.org)
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